Assalamualaikum,

Something happened to me recently that made me ponder how life would sometimes be very unfair to us. Not after hopes have been given and crushed in a blink of an eye. I was denied something that was rightfully mine after all the hard work I've done.

It took me a while to calm myself down and pick myself up from the frustration. Honestly, I was very fortunate to have family and friends around me to listen to my rambling and at the same time gave me good advice as I was rather being and thinking irrationally for a certain period of time.

Among the advice was in a form of a story which the morale was that every bad thing that happens to us might just be a blessing in disguise. Here goes with my rendition of my Mama's story....

A proud king once lived happily in his kingdom accompanied by his trustworthy advisor who is a very noble and a pious Muslim. The proud king's favorite activity is hunting in the jungle.

One day the King and his men decided to go for a hunting session in the jungle when in an unfortunate event happened which causes the King to lose a finger where he accidentally cut it with his hunting own knife. Wounded and in pain, he turn to his advisor who attended the King's wound with some bandage to stop the bleeding. Then to the King's surprise, the advisor recited "Syukur Alhamdulillah". Angry at his advisor's reaction, the King immediately imprisoned his advisor for life.

Few months later, the healed King was off and running again to go out for yet another hunting session with his men. After going deep into the jungle, they found themselves captured by a cannibalistic tribe who intend to cook them for dinner and serve as some sort of sacrificial presentation for their ancestor's spirit.

The tribe's leader made all the necessary preparation for the sacrifice ceremony. He then made a final inspection on their 'dinner' when he realized that their 'food' was missing a finger. Fortunately enough for the King, the cannibal tribe only will present a 'perfect' and 'complete' food for their ancestors. Due to this criteria, the King was released back into the jungle and he immediately ran back to his kingdom.

Upon arriving he instantly went to the prison to meet his old advisor to tell him that he was relieved and understood why he said syukur the last time he had an accident. Have he not lost a finger on that day, he might already lose his life today. The advisor was released and again expresses syukur and thanks to the king for imprisoning him. Puzzled, the king asked the advisor why show gratitude over his doing.

The advisor said "If you had not imprisoned me, I would have been taken as a replacement for the sacrifice by the cannibal tribe"...

Morale of the story...shit happens and it happens for a reason way beyond our comprehension. I have to believe it is for the greater good.

I have look at it from a better perspective. I get to be here and spend good quality time with family and loved one's instead of going all the way there with a person I do not favor at all. LOL.

Until then, take care now. Bye bye then